


A Strange Sort of Quiet

by SarahJeanne



Category: Shelter (2007)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-21
Updated: 2010-02-21
Packaged: 2017-10-07 10:55:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahJeanne/pseuds/SarahJeanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Zach had been leaning forward in the pink chair, elbows on knees, chin in hands, staring at the cat-pig for the better part of an hour when Tori walked up to him. He didn't notice her until she put her hand on his shoulder. </i></p>
            </blockquote>





	A Strange Sort of Quiet

There was a stain on the bottom of the wall that kind of looked like a cat with a pig's nose. It was brown against the green of the corridor walls, probably the result of dropped coffee that had splashed. The floor under it was clean.

Zach had been leaning forward in the pink chair, elbows on knees, chin in hands, staring at the cat-pig for the better part of an hour when Tori walked up to him. He didn't notice her until she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," she said, barely above a whisper.

Her voice cut through the silence that had been pressing in against him. He straightened, pulling out from under her hand, and slowly turned his head to look at her

"Hey." His voice cracked. He hadn't spoken for a while. Before that he had been crying. He wouldn't admit it, but the bags under his eyes and his blotchy skin gave it away.

"Gabe's parking the car." She put her hands in her pockets, then took one out and tucked her hair behind one ear. Then she took the other one out and let her arms hang at her sides again. Her eyes flickered from Zach's face, to the floor, and back again. "We got here as soon as we could."

Zach nodded and opened his mouth to speak but he felt the prickling behind his eyes again and his stomach churned. He got up and shoved Tori out of the way to run into the men's room across the hall. He just made it into the stall before he threw up.

The toilet flushing was loud and he blinked against the sound. He slid down the wall, feeling better. He extended his legs out in front of him, under the other wall, and contemplated the way the metal of the toilet paper dispenser distorted what it reflected.

Minutes, or maybe hours, later, he heard the door creak open and a voice call out, "Zach?" The stall door was pulled open and he looked up to see Gabe staring down at him holding a toothbrush and toothpaste.

"Tori's definitely a keeper, bro. She puts out _and_ she finds exactly what you need exactly when you need it. She's like a mom with benefits." Gabe cringed almost instantly. His eyes were wide and his hand covered his mouth. "Oh God. I didn't…" he mumbled into his hand.

Zach made a noise that was half laugh half sob. "It's okay," he managed to get out.

Gabe reached a hand down to him. Zach took it and was pulled up right into Gabe. He rested his head on Gabe's shoulder and held on just as tightly as Gabe held him. It was only when Zach finally started to pull back that Gabe let up, pounding him twice on the back.

Gabe handed him the toothbrush and toothpaste, ignoring the wet spots on his shoulder. "I'm gonna go check on Tori. See you out there?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Zach turned to the sink and was splashing water on his face as the door clicked shut behind Gabe. He brushed his teeth. He stared at himself in the mirror and realized there was nothing he could do to make himself look presentable.

When he walked into the hall, Gabe and Tori were standing directly across from the door, staring at him. "Thanks," he said to Tori. She took two steps forward to close the distance between them and then he was hugging her, his face in her hair.

"I'm so sorry," she said. He just squeezed her tighter. She let go eventually, but left one arm around his waist. He rested his hand at the back of her neck, running his fingers through her hair.

"Where's your dad? And Jeanne?" Tori asked.

"At home. His back was bothering him." Zach voice was smoother now. "When they left… I didn't want to leave yet. I sat with her for a while, but then I couldn't be in there anymore."

Gabe and Tori both nodded and Tori curled her fingers into his side.

"I need to leave now." They nodded again and the three of them turned to make their way around the corner toward the door. Zach's stomach rolled again but there was nothing left. He didn't run this time, he just stopped and turned back to look at the room he'd practically lived in for the past week. She wasn't in there now, having been rolled away sometime during the cat-pig hour, but the thought of _leaving_…

They stood there until Zach turned back, swiping at his eyes one last time. Tori reached around his waist again and Gabe's arm fell across his shoulder.

The hospice door slid open. There were birds chirping, traffic rushing past, and some kids yelling at the playground across the street. A car horn blared. Zach squinted against the sun and walked out, Tori and Gabe at his sides.


End file.
